A/N: Longer chapter, this time. I hope you enjoy it!
Kara woke up around 8 in the morning. The first thing she noticed was Dakota's absence, and could hear movement throughout the house. She got up from her place in the chair and walked toward the kitchen, where the sounds were coming from. She saw Rose cooking breakfast, and walked in to see if she could help. Rose looked up and smiled at her.
"Well, good morning," she said. "How did you sleep?"
Kara thought of her nightmare, but didn't want Rose to worry. "I slept well." She looked around and noticed that there was no one else around. "Where is everyone?"
"Adam's getting stuff for tonight, and Dakota said he was going for a walk. Alice is still sleeping in her room."
Kara took in the information. "I'll go check on Alice."
"Dakota checked on her before he headed out, but if you want to, go ahead." Rose told her.
Kara was somewhat surprised by this news. Why did he check on Alice? Her mind was snapped out of her own thoughts by the sound of the front door opening and closing. She turned to see Dakota dusting off a pair of winter boots, his face flushed with cold. He stripped out of a light winter jacket and walked over to the kitchen and saw Kara. He beamed in her direction, stopped to say good morning, and went to Rose. "What can I do to help?"
Rose looked at Dakota, her lips slightly pursed. "You can check on the others, help them get ready." Dakota nodded and went to the laundry room. Rose picked up a plate of food and handed it to Kara. "Can you take this up to Alice? She might be awake now, and Dakota said that her fever has broken." Kara took the plate and went upstairs to the room where Alice was sleeping.
Opening the door, she saw that Alice was just waking up. "Good morning, Alice," she said, setting down the plate on the nightstand and opening up the curtains. Alice sat up, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
"Morning, Kara," Alice said.
"Rose made breakfast, French toast, eggs, and sausage." Alice got out of bed and left to use the bathroom. She came back, and sat down on the bed. Kara brought the plate of food to her, and she ate it up. Rose came upstairs carrying Alice's clothes from the day before, now washed clean. Kara helped Alice dress, all in silence. There was a heavy air within the house, as everyone was physically and mentally gearing up for the night ahead. Adam came home around noon, with clothes for the other androids to pass off as humans, and Dakota helped the other androids prepare. After eating a brief lunch, they left the house at just after three in the afternoon, Rose and the majority of the androids in her car, and Dakota, Luther, Kara, and Alice in his, following Rose.
It was a solid five hours of driving before they reached the city, and the sights within were ghastly. It no longer looked like the bustling metropolis it was. There was blue blood all over the place, and occasionally there would be androids dead in various ways. Some were strung up on street lights, others piled up and set aflame. At one point, there was an android fixed to a cross, with a sign reading "Back to Hell, Androids!" Dakota was glad Alice was sitting in the middle of the car. On more than one occasion, they had passed police gunning down android at point blank. The roads were unnaturally empty, further contributing to the eeriness of the city. Dakota hated it. It felt more like a war-torn village in the middle of some underdeveloped country than a bustling place of industry and development. After cautiously driving through the city, Rose's car finally stopped in a parking lot. She stepped out of her car and walked over to Dakota's, and Dakota motioned everybody to get out as well. Rose stood before them, giving the information she knew.
"A little further down, there's a large freighter named Jericho. When you get there, find Markus. He will help you. The last bus for the border leaves at midnight. You absolutely have to be on it. You'll be safer on the other side." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a fifty dollar bill. "It's not much," she says, handing the money to Kara, "but it's a start." After a moment she continued. "My brother lives in Ontario, I've already given you his address. He'll be able to hide you until things calm down." Kara nodded at the information. Rose turned to Alice. "You're a very brave girl, Alice. You deserve to be happy." She gave the girl a warm hug.
"Thank you for everything, Rose," Kara said sincerely.
Rose hugged her as well. "Let me know when you make it over there, alright?" She stepped back. "And be careful, please? Stay safe." The last words were aimed in Dakota's direction, who feigned innocence.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said coyly.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Rose shot back.
Of course. I will. Take care, Rose." Dakota and Rose exchanged a brief hug "Take care of them," Rose said to him, and left.
Dakota picked up the bags that he put in the trunk, and Luther put Alice on his shoulder. "Let's go," Luther spoke, eager to get everyone out of the cold. They walked for about ten minutes before the sight of the large, old ship came into view. It was rusted, long since abandoned for its original purpose. There was a gangplank leading up to an entrance. There were androids moving about, some entering, seeking their own sanctuary, others were moving supplies, bringing them in to aid the wounded within. They entered through the gangway, and gazed at the scene before them. Hundreds of androids were present, watching various screens set up throughout the room. Each screen displayed a different news channel. They were all covering the developments around the nation concerning the treatment of androids, as well as some comments about Markus's demonstration. Dakota and the group eventually found a place to sit, near a barrel set as a poor man's fireplace to keep Alice warm. "I'll go find Markus," Dakota told the group.
"Kara stepped up to him. "I'm going with you, she said. Dakota nodded at her. They began their search, leaving Luther with Alice. They started in the lower levels, searching for the deviant leader. There was a section that was partitioned off. Dakota and Kara entered the space within, where there was a single android. She stood still in the middle of the room, with a fire next to her. Her skin was somewhat damaged, darkness moving across it like clouds in a sky. The back of her head was open, wires spilling out the back. Kara could recognize her as a KL900. The android could sense the pair in the room, and opened her eyes. The eyes were all black, the irises extremely dilated.
She looked directly at Dakota. "Seiðrberendr," she said, with an acknowledging nod.
Dakota raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't know androids were able to See such things."
The android in the room thought. "My injuries were very specific and had… changed some of my programming. I was not aware of this ability," she said pensively
"That's understandable. Many such abilities lay dormant." Dakota then cut to the chase. "We're looking for Markus. Do you know where he is?"
"Not at this moment, although he usually watches over us all."
Dakota nodded at this cryptic information. "Thank you…"
"Lucy."
"-Lucy. Thank you Lucy." Dakota turned and left the partitioned area, with Kara trailing after him, confused and absolutely lost from the conversation. Dakota was looking around, trying to understand Lucy's enigmatic information. She could've been referring to a vantage point, or to an office, maybe a planning room. Looking around. He spotted a control room, once used to direct and oversee the loading of freight in the cargo area. He started toward it.
"Wait!" Kara called after him. "What was all that about? What did she mean by a seiðrberendr?" The last word was said clumsily, the pronunciation and meaning unfamiliar to her.
Dakota stopped and turned to her, his expression serious. "If I tell you, you gotta promise not to tell anyone. If I want someone to know, I'll tell them myself, okay?"
"O-okay" Kara said hesitantly.
Dakota breathed. "A seiðrberendr," he started, " or seiðr, is a practitioner of magic, specifically from Norse practices." Dakota turned, motioning for Kara to walk with him. "I… possess certain abilities, some of which you have already seen."
"Wait, really?"
"Yes. I formed a limited telepathic link with Alice, and I am sure you saw me briefly change outfits at Zlatko's." Kara thought back to that night, blocking any part of the chase and focusing only on the parts with Dakota. Suddenly she remembered how at one point he was in black military fatigues, and the next he was back to wearing normal clothes. Dakota looked at Kara, watching the realization dawn on her face. "It's also what led me down to Ravendale, too. Most of the time it comes in Knowledge, or a very strong intuition. I didn't know where exactly I was going or why, but I knew someone important was there. That important person turned out to be you and Alice."
Kara smiled at the last statement. They had almost reached the "command room," walking across various catwalks. Dakota could hear voices, four distinct in tone. One female and three male, one of which he could recognize as the android Markus. Right as he reached the door, he tripped on a piece of metal flooring that was twisted and warped from age. He fell to his knees, causing the metal beneath him to reverberate loudly. The sound was lost to the general sound of the greater area, but those on the other side of the door heard, as the talking stopped immediately. "There's someone at the door," he heard, and the bulkhead was opened, spilling light over him. Hands pulled Dakota onto his feet and helped him inside. Kara followed in behind him. Dakota raised his head and looked up at them. There was a sharp intake of breath among the four androids there."He's human," the female android hissed venomously.
Feeling the hostility, Dakota raised his hands slowly, a gesture of peace and surrender. "I swear I have no affiliation with any law enforcement, CyberLife, or any group with anti-android sentiments," he stated calmly.
The female android turned to Markus. "We can't trust him, Markus. If he knows about Jericho, then others might know too."
Another android spoke up. "He just told us he isn't here for the police, North. He might be telling the truth."
"But what if he's not, Josh? What if he's lying about all that, and he's just trying to lower our guard?"
"Kara can vouch for me," Dakota suggested. He felt like he was kind of throwing her on the spot, but he needed them to trust him. "She's an android, and being deviant, she can say what she truly thinks."
Markus takes that suggestion, and walks up to Kara. Retracting synthetic skin from his skin, he looks up to Kara. "May I?" He asks. Tentatively, Kara retracts the skin from her own hand, and the two connect. After a few seconds, the connection is broken. Markus turns back to his group. "He can be trusted," he said simply. North frowned, clearly not happy about the turnout, but accepted it anyways. "All right, what do you want?" she grumbled.
"Two things. First, to ask for passports. For Kara, another android, and a little girl. I have the information you need for them, and will be willing to wait."
Markus hesitated. "The city is under curfew. There are soldiers everywhere and they're rounding up all the androids and sending them to camps. It might be safer to just stay here."
Dakota immediately objected. "No. Whatever is coming next, I don't know what, but it won't be good. I want to get them to where it's safer."
Markus nodded. "That sounds reasonable. And the other thing?"
"I want to give you my help. Anything you need help with, I can do."
"One of our people used to work in the State Department. He has some passports he can easily modify. I'll have him give them to you."
"Thank you," Dakota said. He turned to Kara. "Head back to Alice and Luther. I'm gonna see what I can do to help them. Kara looks like she doesn't want to leave him, but goes anyway. Josh and the other android followed, leaving Dakota with North and Markus. Dakota watched Markus for a moment. For an android, his face was very worn. It was the face of a leader who had seen his people die, and who wasn't sure where to go next. He looked at Dakota and asked the all too familiar question.
"Humans hate us. Why do you want to help?"
Dakota smiled. "Not all humans hate androids. The media does make it seem like we do, though. I want to help because it seems like a good cause, helping people achieve freedom. It's something I'd want to be a part of."
North scoffed. "Just want to taste a bit of victory, huh?"
"This could just as easily just crash and burn as it could succeed." Dakota said. "Your personal victories have no effect for me. My main concern is the safety of those I'm caring for. They are my main priority, and come above anything else." His words were simple, yet concise and weighted. His body posture had changed subtly, from a tenser state to a more commanding figure, calm and controlled. The room was silent, both North and Markus looking at him with masked expressions. "I'll be downstairs, on the far side of the area, if you need me." He turned on his his and left the room. He made his way back to Kara, Alice, and Luther, who were huddled around each other to keep warm. He walked up to them. "We're almost there," he told them, sitting down. Luther, without prompt, stands up to make room for Dakota. Dakota sits down, thanking Luther. Alice sits up, looks at Dakota, and leans into him. Dakota reached behind Alice and touched Kara on the shoulder. She looked up to him and he offered her his hand, palm up. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He squeezed it back. Dakota looked at Luther, who was standing. Dakota moved over a bit. "Come sit down, Luther." Luther sat down next to Dakota, somewhat hesitant. After Dakota made no sign of discomfort from his presence, Luther relaxed a bit more. Up in the main room, unbeknownst to the group, Markus was confronting the famous deviant hunter, Connor.
The few moments of peace for Dakota were much needed, but brief. He could feel a tension building up around the ship. He raised his head, frowning. He tried to focus on the cause of this feeling. Kara watched him, worry on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Something isn't right," he said quietly. He stood up, trying up to get a better understanding. It was audible now, a rumbling whirr. Dakota instantly recognized it as the sound of helicopters. Shit. "We gotta get out of here!" The others got up and started towards where they came in. "Not that way!" he called. "That's the first place they'll come looking. We need to find somewhere else to get out." He frantically looked for a way out of the cargo bay. Spotting a way out, he waved his arm to motion them after him. "This way!" They started moving just as Markus and Connor came running out, telling everyone to evacuate. Dakota and his group ran for their lives.
The soldiers were already aboard the ship, having been dropped in the top by the helicopters. They were combing the ship, shooting any androids they found. Dakota's senses were heightened, able to sense the movements of almost anyone in a twenty foot radius. He didn't like this at all. This was too familiar to him. His actions were pure instinct, spurred by adrenaline. There were four soldiers up ahead, heading down the hall he and his group were in. He quickly led them down a second hallway. There was one soldier there as well, who took aim at Luther and fired straight at his head. Luther instinctively tried to duck even though he knew he couldn't dodge a bullet. The projectile hurtled towards him… and struck an invisible wall just inches from its target in a shower of scarlet and green sparks. Luther turned to see Dakota in front of him, arm out as if holding a shield. The bands of his watch were covered in clearly visible symbols, all glowing the same colors as the sparks. Dakota turned to them. A symbol had appeared over his left eye, looking like the footprint of a bird and glowing a faint blue. "To the right there's a corridor. Go there, I'll be behind you!" They all ran in the direction he indicated, Dakota keeping watch behind them. At the end of the hallway, they ran into Connor, Markus, and North. Dakota stopped to figure out what they knew.
"We're trapped on all sides. Our people are trapped in the hold, they'll be slaughtered!" Markus closed his eyes, put a hand to his temple, and Dakota could feel him sending a message to the other androids within the ship, a simple pulse of energy emitting from him outward. Markus opened his eyes and glanced around. "Where's Simon and Josh?" he asked.
North looked at him nervously. "I-I don't know, we got separated.
Dakota was getting impatient. People were dying, and the place was getting more dangerous by the second. The acrid smell of gunpowder was filling the air. "They're coming in from above, we need to find a way out," he stresses. Markus nodded at the additional information, paused, and turned to North. "We have to blow up Jericho. If the ship goes down, they'll evacuate and our people can escape."
"You'll never make it. The way there is covered with soldiers. They'll kill you if they see you," North objected, fear in her eyes.
"I can clear a path for you," Dakota offered.
"What about your people?" North countered.
"They come first, but I'll be able to go back and forth."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Dakota sighed, clearly anxious to get moving. "Now is not the time to explain. Markus, head down there, I'll clear most of the way out." Dakota turned and ran over to Kara, Alice, and Luther, and urged them after him. Markus himself headed down to the hold to set off the explosives.
Dakota realized how much extra strain he had just put on himself. Not only did he have to take the soldiers down, preferably without major injury to them, but he also had to keep his awareness around two groups now. Checking a corner, he saw two troops standing over several androids, guns pointed at they're heads. Dakota rushed out, barreling one to the ground. Before the other could react, Dakota kicked the gun out of their hand. A brief struggle ensued, and Dakota knocked the soldier out. Dakota picked up the sidearm and pocketed it. How am I going to keep Kara and everyone going the right way? he thought to himself. He suddenly had an idea. He could relay directions through Alice using telepathy. Alice, he called with his mind.
Yes? he heard Alice's small voice respond.
I'll be telling you where you need to go. I just need you to lead the others out. Do you think you can do that?
I-I think so, came an uncertain reply.
Don't worry, kid. I'll be with you every step of the way. There was silence from Alice, but Dakota could feel her relief. That's it. Head down the hallway and turn left. Dakota realized that there were six troops converging on the path along which Markus was heading.
Major Robyn Mclaney hated shit like this. This wasn't like a drug bust, where people were high and trying to kill you. This was no trafficking ring, all who were here came of their free will, and weren't abused. Christ, they just looked like civilians, trying to find refuge. She hated that these androids looked so human. If they didn't, it would make her orders easier to follow. But there were more than just the eyes of the Army on her. Any insubordination would not be taken well. Turning the corner, she threw a grenade to provide cover. "Flashbang out!" she called. The grenade hit the ground, its fuse not yet detonated. A figure stepped out from a doorway, bent down, and picked up the flashbang. He seemed to have a glowing scar on his face, one that Robyn instantly recognized. Her eyes widened in fear as she realized the implications of this meeting. The figure seemed to study the grenade for a moment, before nonchalantly tossing it back the direction it was thrown. "Fall back!" Robyn called out over the comms in her helmet, but before anyone could react the flashbang went off. Unfortunately the armor her and her team had been issued was terribly outdated, and the helmets gave no help against the blinding light and the audial assault the small explosive created. By the time the afterimage had cleared her eyes, Robyn's entire team lay on the ground. A quick check on vitals from their suits showed that they were only unconscious. Suddenly, a voice sounded in her head. A voice that she thought she would never hear again. Mclaney. Surprised to see you again. Robyn sighed and gritted her teeth. "Hello, Dakota." At the sound of his name, he stepped out of the smoke, various runes and sigils glowing on his skin. "What are you doing here?"
"Keeping people safe." He looked at her, urgency in his eyes. Even through the helmet, Robyn felt that he could see straight through her. Beneath her helmet, she looked away, avoiding eye contact. She had seen what lay behind them, and didn't care to do it again. "You should get your people out," he told her. "The ship's set to blow soon, and I'm sure you don't want your crew hurt." Robyn nodded. She knew enough of him to not question his motives. She set about helping her comrades, and when she looked up again, he was gone.
Agent Margaret Dresden had just converged at a hallway. She just saw the android named Markus, and had her gun trained on him. Before she could open fire, someone stepped in front of her. She turned to fire on him, but he knocked her weapon out of her hand. She tried to jab him in the stomach, but he blocked it quickly. She tried to hit him again, but he blocked that just as well. She had been trained by many, many people, learning various styles of combat. But no matter what she tried, this person countered every move. She was beginning to tire out, and that's when he hit her back. A solid jab to the diaphragm, a sweep of the legs, and an elbow to the back of the head took her down quite quickly. She knew she should've worn the armor her aunt Charity gave to her. Her vision cleared just in time to see the man run through a wall. That left her quite disturbed. She thought that she was able to leave behind her past. She hoped that stuff like that could be left behind.
Dakota, after dispatching at least a dozen soldiers and saving several androids in the process, finally caught up to Alice and the others. He stopped several soldiers from getting to them, but not before a bullet clipped Luther's ankle. "Luther!" Alice cried out as he went down.
Luther had never been shot before, and assumed the worst: he wasn't going to live through it. "Go!" He told them, "Save yourselves!" Dakota immediately bent down and picked the giant off the ground. He carried him over to a room, out of sight of the troops sweeping the hallways. Luther leaned against the wall, panting from the pain. "You shouldn't have done that. You can't put them in danger just because of me."
Dakota just looked Luther straight in the eyes. "I never leave anyone behind," he stated seriously. He turned to Kara and Alice. "Head straight out. If you hear anything, hide."
Kara looked back at him, fear in her eyes. "What about you?"
"We'll manage. Go!"
Kara turned and grabbed Alice by the hand, hurrying out of the room. Dakota turned back to Luther. "I need to see your ankle." Luther obliged. He had been lucky. Structural damage was minimal, and he was in no danger of bleeding out. The bullet had only grazed his foot. Dakota looked back at Luther's face. "It's not bad, just gonna hurt like hell. This is gonna suck, but we need to run. Just focus on the ground beneath you, and block out the pain. We need to get off this ship before anything. Got it?" Luther nodded, bracing himself for the pain he will have to endure. Dakota helped Luther up and get to the door."Ready, on, two, GO!" he shouted pushing Luther forward. The large deviant ran forward, stumbling a bit. Dakota was right behind him, until he saw a door open up in front of him to let in an android, who was promptly shot in the back of the head by a soldier. Kara's in there, he realized.
There was pounding on the door. "Please, you gotta let me in," a voice pleaded from outside.
"She's gonna die out there Kara, open it," Alice said in her soft voice. Quickly, Kara opened the seal on the door and pulled it open to let in a deviant. But just as the android cleared the doorway, a shot rang out and she fell to the floor. Before Kara could even register what happened, a soldier forced his way into the room and bared his gun at her. Before he could shoot, a chain made of scarlet flames snaked around the barrel and yanked it from his grasp.
Dakota stepped through the doorway, both his arms covered in glowing, swirling tattoos of various designs. "Leave. Them. ALONE!" he shouted, pure Power in his voice. At the last word. The soldier was flung back several feet and hit the back wall, slumping into an unconscious heap. "Come on!" he urged the two on. They ran out of the room. Luther was, despite what Dakota had told him, was waiting for them at the end of the corridor. They caught up to him, and they ran. Turning a corner, a bullet hit Dakota in the knee, and he went down immediately. "SHIT!"
"Dakota!" Alice cried out, stopping to go back for him.
"Go!" he ordered. "Go now! Don't worry about me.
"But-" Alice started.
"I'll be fine. You need to go. The way ahead is clear." The young girl still didn't want to leave him. "Alice," he said, softening his voice and looking into her face, "I'll be alright." Alice nodded, and gave him a tight hug, before running back to Kara. The remaining trio ran off through the labyrinthine hallways of the ship, seeking the safety that the place no longer provided. Dakota looked down at his leg and examined his injury. The bullet completely shattered his kneecap, and was still lodged in his leg. He forced the projectile out, and partially healed his leg, just enough to walk again. He slowly got up, groaning in pain. Steadying himself, he slowed his breathing, and pushed the sensory input to the side. It was still there, it still hurt, but it simply didn't matter anymore. He hated doing this to himself, mentally numbing his senses and emotions for the sake of simple survival, but it had to be done. In his peripheral, Connor, North, Josh, and Simon passed him. Five feet past Dakota, North stopped and turned around. "Markus," she breathed, relief in her voice.
Markus stopped upon catching gear up to her. Bomb's gonna explode any second. We gotta get out of here." Noticing Dakota, the deviant leader turned to him. "Are you okay?" he asked genuinely.
Dakota looked back at him, still clearly in pain. "I'll manage." They all started running, fleeing the doomed vessel. A bust of fire rang out behind them, and North went down. They all stopped. Simon looked back at her, painful regret in his eyes. "It's too late Markus, there's nothing we can do for her. We have to run."
Dakota knew how much the woman meant to Markus, and decided on what to do before Simon had finished speaking. Without a word, he ran forward into the fire, the runes on his watch gaining light. The line of soldiers opened fire, and every bullet bounced off the air in a quarter dome shape, creating fiery sparks of scarlet and emerald. Dakota planted himself firmly between the firing line and North, ensuring a protective barrier. "Markus, pull her out!" he called back. The head deviant hurried forward and helped his injured friend up, and helped her away. Connor advanced towards Dakota, gun pointed at the troops. Dakota lowered the shield, long enough for Connor to fire several rounds, downing three of the officers. "Fall back!" Dakota called, as he began stepping back, never letting down the shield. He finally turned and ran as best he could, keeping the shield up behind him. He caught up with the group just as they reached a large hole in the side of the ship. Without hesitation, they jumped out into the freezing water, and Dakota followed suit, landing in the frigid water just as the explosives in the hold went off. The water protected them from the shrapnel created from the blast.
Dakota quietly swam up to the side of the dock, staying in the shadows as various soldiers made a final sweep along the pier. After the final sweep passed, he waited another full minute before finally climbing out of the cold water. He joined Markus and his group, who were standing in the shadows of a nearby abandoned building. "What now?" he asked them, leaning against a wall to take the weight off his injured leg. There was no way that this many androids could safely hide in nearby alleyways without being spotted. Dakota knew that even after the explosion of the ship, there would be patrols around the surrounding area.
"We could stay in the surrounding warehouses. They're all abandoned," Josh suggested.
Dakota shook his head. "No good. They'll be checking the entire area around this place. The farther we can get from here, the safer we'll all be."
The group fell silent in thought, trying to think of somewhere they could relocate their people. Simon broke the silence. "Before I came to Jericho, I stayed in an old church. It's large enough to accommodate everyone, and far enough from here to be safe." The group considered his words, then Markus simply asked, "where?" Simon locked eyes with the deviant leader, his L.E.D. flickering yellow as he transferred the location to Markus. Markus nodded and put his hand to his temple broadcasting the location to all androids in the area. Surprisingly, he turned to Dakota, compassion in his eyes. "Can you walk?"
Dakota moved away from the wall, grunting slightly as he put weight on his pained knee. He steeled himself and willed more external support around his knee, constructing a temporary brace out of altered space. It would work long enough to tie him over until he could get some supplies. All the first aid he brought with him were in his bags, which were left behind in the rush to get out of Jericho. "I'll be fine," he assured them. "Let's get going."
